Birlestam
The kingdom located on Ordtala's largest continent. The name comes from the Turkish word for unified (birleştirilmiş) and the Norwegian word for tribes (stammene). History of Birlestam Early History Birlestam was first formed with the alliance of the equatorial keeps, ANCIENT CAPITOL, NORTH CRESCENT BAY, and EASTERN PENINSULA. This event marks the start of the Ordtalan Calendar. {Reason for increased border conflicts -- Drought? Famine? Must be an immediate need for more resources} After a series minor skirmishes between the outlying settlements of ANCIENT CAPITOL and a handful of small farming villages to the west, officials from ANCIENT CAPITOL were sent to investigate. The officials discovered that the opposing villages had an allegiance with a larger settlement to the west which the villagers called NORTH CRESCENT BAY. Realizing that these villages were too far from the protections and services of ANCIENT CAPITOL, the officials set out for the neighboring city center to negotiate a peace between the two. As the officials traveled west, they discovered large fields of crops which could not be easily grown in their own soil. The closer the officials came to the city's center, wild forests and untamed fields gave way to wide clearings for travel which would in turn give way to rudimentary roads covered with loose stone and wood chips. After months of traveling, the officials came to a city roughly the size of ANCIENT CAPITOL on the shore of what they described as a "vast landscape of murky blue having towering grey shards emerging from its surface. The city officials do not allow it's citizens to drink from this water so that it may not be depleted for the hundreds of water creatures living beneath this landscape, the likes of which these eyes have never seen before." Upon arriving in NORTH CRESCENT BAY, ANCIENT CAPITOL's officials spoke with the city leaders. They made little mention of their original purpose, instead focusing on trade agreements. NORTH CRESCENT BAY's crops, sea life, and engineering of roads were of great interest to ANCIENT CAPITOL, but were unsure of what was in their dominion which would be of interest to the officials of NORTH CRESCENT BAY. An arrangement was made for the NORTH CRESCENT BAY officials to return to ANCIENT CAPITOL with them so they they may see the city's resources for themselves that they may reach a trade agreement. While ANCIENT CAPITOL officials were seeking peace with their western neighbors, conflict arose to the east. As before, officials were sent east to investigate. To the east, ANCIENT CAPITOL officials found a city of hunters "whose arrowheads and daggers were not made of chiseled grey or black stone, but of hard substance with a blue-green coating. When struck, their weapons may on occasion remove some of its coating to reveal a stone the color of the setting sun." The hunters of EASTERN PENINSULA had discovered copper ore. After negotiating peace between the outlying settlers of ANCIENT CAPITOL and EASTERN PENINSULA, the officials returned home where representatives from NORTH CRESCENT BAY were discussing trade agreements. Upon hearing of the copper tools crafted to the east, NORTH CRESCENT BAY agreed to a peaceful trading alliance with ANCIENT CAPITOL on the condition that they be able to trade for the copper tools of EASTERN PENINSULA. Officials from the two cities returned to EASTERN PENINSULA to establish an alliance of all three settlements. NORTH CRESCENT BAY would advise in the creation of a Great Road between the three cities. EASTERN PENINSULA would provide copper tools and teach the other how to identify and work with the substance. ANCIENT CAPITOL would provide resources to maintain the roads and act as a trading post which would keep its gates open to travelers from both cities. The Fourth City Discovery of SOUTH CRESCENT BAY. By land? Sailing across the bay? Invasion of the Southern Tribes Gender imbalance. See Moleskine notebooks. The Second Capitol NORTH CRESCENT BAY Polar Cities Discovered Southern and northern cities discovered and join the kingdom Contact with the West Western traders bring advanced building materials The Great Store and The New Capitol Fearing the western traders will turn on them, a new capitol is built further inland at the apex of Crescent Bay.